A few questions to think about before investing in Solar Panels

With renewable energy gaining more and more importance in recent years, the notion of investing in Solar Panels for our homes and businesses is on the increase.

Solar makes for an excellent investment especially in a country like Malta, considering thehigh number of sunny days we experience. This being said, it is of utmost importance that you choose panels with the best quality and performance to get the most out of your investment.

Below, we will discuss a few things to keep in mind before choosing to buy a Solar Panel.

How do Solar Panels work?

Solar Panels work by converting the sun’s energy (photons) to electricity (electrons). The more efficient a solar panel is, the more electricity can be generated in a smaller area; resulting in less panels needed andconsequentiallyamounting to greater savings.

Types of Solar Panels

Most Solar panels are made with crystalline silicone - a type of material which conducts electricity and therefore is perfect for solar panels. The category of Solar panels further splits into two; monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels, the only difference lying in the purity of the silicone. Polycrystalline are made by melting silicon fragments together, while monocrystalline silicon is made from a single-crystal, thus allowing freer movement for the electrons, increasing their efficiency of converting sunlight to electricity.

While polycrystalline panels typically range between 15 and 17 percent, by choosing a panel made with monocrystalline silicone you are choosing the panels with the highest efficiency rating ranging from 15 to more than 22 percent. SunPower produce the highest efficiency monocrystalline panels, with the X22 having a record-breaking efficiency of up to 22.8%, making it the best performing panels on the market.